RADIO
RotoBallers,
Welcome back. As always this column will aim to highlight Week 11 waiver wire adds and streamers for quarterbacks, players that you should consider targeting on your league's waiver wire.
In recent years, the concept of streaming has become a popular one within fantasy football circles. Particularly with quarterbacks and defense/special teams, the idea of swapping players out every week based on attractive matchups has led numerous owners to victory (or to the basement, if such owners didn’t stream correctly). It’s not a bad idea – why invest a high draft pick on a player you may not want to use every week when you can use the upcoming week’s tilts to your advantage and play the projections?
Editor's Note: Once you're done here, be sure to read about even more Week 11 waiver wire recommendations, for all fantasy-relevant positions. Just click on any link: ALL - RB - WR - TE - QB - DEF - FAAB - CUTS
Strategy for Streaming Quarterbacks
The problem, as mentioned above, is that if you’re going to go this route then you need to stream right - or you’re going to find yourself in a lot of trouble. Fortunately, the purpose of this weekly article will help you do exactly that with the quarterback position. Every week, we’ll take a look at six streaming QB options: three for one-quarterback leagues, and three for two-quarterback leagues. The focus will be on streaming for the upcoming week, but if that particular player has a positive outlook beyond that point it will be noted for your benefit.
Options for one-quarterback leagues could be just about anyone – if a decent QB really has that tasty of a matchup, then who are we to not take advantage of that? Of course, the obvious names aren’t “streamers” – your Newtons, Rodgers, and Wilsons of the world are plugged into the starting QB spot for their owners week in and week out. Other than the head honchos at the position though, anyone is eligible. Two-quarterback leagues, however, work a little differently. In these leagues, most of, if not all quarterbacks are already owned. Thus, to be a streamer option in a two-quarterback league, the QB needs to be close to the bottom of the barrel. For example, you aren’t streaming Eli Manning in a two-quarterback league because under that setting, Eli should be starting every week anyway.
RotoBallers, stream away to your heart’s desire. If you have any questions or comments feel free to send me an email ([email protected]), tweet (@Andrew_Bua), or reach out on Reddit (/u/CitiStrikeouts).
One-QB Leagues - Week 11 Waiver Wire Streamers
Tyrod Taylor, BUF (64% owned)
Surprisingly, Tyrod Taylor pops up on this list for the first time this season. That’s not because he’s not deserving of being here, but mainly because his ownership rate has been too high to really be available in most leagues. With Buffalo on a bye in Week 10, however, Taylor’s ownership level has dropped to 64% - meaning in one-quarterback leagues, there’s a decent chance he’s available. As such, he’s our #1 quarterback streamer of the week.
Taylor has been on a fantasy roll as of late. In Week 9, he nearly put the Bills on his back and stole a game in Seattle on Monday Night Football when he threw for 289 yards and a score while adding another 43 yards (and another touchdown) on the ground. That marked the third consecutive game Taylor had rushed for a score, and in standard scoring leagues he has put up over 24 points in two of the last three weeks. In Week 11, Taylor and the Bills head to Cincinnati to take on a Bengals pass defense that ranks 21st in the NFL with an average of 262.4 passing yards allowed per-game. The Bengals also haven’t faced a duel-threat quarterback at Taylor’s level this season, and that’s always an adventure for a defense who is relatively unfamiliar in defending one. Taylor is an excellent add not just for Week 11, but for the remainder of the season as well.
Alex Smith, KC (49% owned)
Alex Smith returned from his concussion-but-maybe-not-a-concussion-type injury (anyone actually figure that one out yet?) in Week 10 in what should have been a favorable matchup at Carolina, but the results simply weren’t there. Smith finished a very underwhelming 25-of-38 for 178 yards with an interception, and no touchdowns. Things get a bit easier for the Chiefs when they head home in Week 11 to take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Buccaneers have been on the receiving end of some truly awful outings this year, including allowing at least 344 passing yards in two of their last three outings (344 to Matt Ryan and 513 to Derek Carr). As a result, the Bucs rank 22nd in the NFL with an average of 267.7 passing yards surrendered per-game. They also rank fifth in fantasy points allowed to opposing quarterbacks with an average of 20.35 per-week in standard leagues. The Chiefs playing at home also bears well for Smith – he’s thrown for at least 237 yards and two touchdowns in two of his three games at Arrowhead this year. He should be a popular bye week fill-in for Week 11.
Jay Cutler, CHI (26% owned)
It kind of makes me sick to write Jay Cutler’s name as a viable streaming option in one-quarterback leagues for Week 11, but given ownership rates and opposing defense stats, he’s unfortunately one of the better options in a week that doesn’t have many. Given Cutler’s all-or-nothing propensity where he can throw for a bunch of yards and scores (or conversely, no yards and several turnovers) the potential upside gives him an edge to take the third spot for one-quarterback leagues this week.
Cutler and the Bears head to the Meadowlands in Week 11 to take on the New York Giants. The Giants’ defense has performed at the bend-but-don’t-break level this year, which for fantasy purposes is both good and bad. They’ve given up yards, that’s for sure – they’ve allowed at least 259 passing yards to the opposing quarterback in every week since Week 2. That includes at least 291 in each of their last three games. The issue is that they haven’t surrendered many scores through the air – the last time they let the opposition reach pay dirt through the air multiple times in a game was Week 5. Still, as mentioned above Cutler is the type of quarterback who is going to throw a ton and always has a chance to put up stats. Use him at your own risk – and even consider using some of the two-quarterback streamers listed below instead – but the potential for a nice week is definitely there.
Two-QB Leagues - Week 11 Waiver Wire Streamers
Brock Osweiler, HOU (28% owned)
Brock Osweiler is coming off a game at Jacksonville where he put up a very respectable point total in two-quarterback leagues, but that was largely boasted by his two touchdown passes as he only threw for 99 yards. Regardless, owners who streamed him in two-quarterback leagues will take it, and they’ll take it again if Osweiler does it again in Week 11 at Oakland.
The much-maligned Raiders defense has been a bit better as of late, but they still remain a perfect target to stream against. In Oakland’s last game, they surrendered 283 yards and two touchdowns to the not-so-mighty Trevor Siemian. The Raiders are also allowing 18.72 fantasy points per-game to opposing quarterbacks in standard scoring leagues, which is the eighth-highest in the NFL. Osweiler, meanwhile, hasn’t been great, but he’s had some nice moments at least. He’s thrown multiple touchdown passes in three of his last six games. In his last four games, he’s only thrown two interceptions – a small number compared to the seven he threw in his first five games. Given the options, Osweiler is a fine streaming option as a QB2 in Week 11.
Colin Kaepernick, SF (23% owned)
While Colin Kaepernick has hardly been lighting the world on fire, he’s quietly progressed a little bit more in each game he’s played this year. He had his best fantasy game of the season on Sunday at Arizona when he completed 17-of-30 passes for 210 yards and a touchdown while also adding 55 yards on the ground with another touchdown.
The San Francisco 49ers are not a very good team. In Week 11, they stay at home to take on the New England Patriots, who are a very good team. Know what happens when a bad team takes on the Pats? Garbage time, that’s what – and garbage time is a QB2’s best friend. The 49ers will likely lose, and lose by a lot. Kaepernick probably won’t do much in the first half, but as the Pats go up big he’s an excellent candidate to stockpile some stats. In standard scoring leagues, his fantasy points, in order, have been: 18.08, 14.12, 22.22, and 23.90. He seems to be progressing as the season goes along, and he has a very good chance to top his current high of 23.90 in Week 11.
Cody Kessler, CLE (9% owned)
During a terrible showing on Thursday Night Football in Week 10, Cody Kessler saw himself riding the pine mid-game in favor of Josh McCown. Not to worry, Kessler fans – Browns Coach Hue Jackson has already come out and said Kessler is the quarterback and will start in Week 11 when the Browns take on the Pittsburgh Steelers.
In what world would a Browns quarterback be a recommended play against the Steelers defense? For the first time in awhile (ever?), this one. While Kessler obviously isn’t amazing, Pittsburgh’s defense just isn’t what it once was. The 276 passing yards per-week allowed by the Steelers ranks 26th in the NFL. Earlier this year they were performing at the bend-but-don’t-break variety much like the Giants above, but in recent weeks that has not been the case. After allowing multiple touchdown passes in only two of their first six games, they’ve given up at least two touchdowns in two of their last three games (and at least one in all of them). That includes the 319-yard, two-touchdown performance from Dak Prescott in Week 10. If you’re in need of a second quarterback for Week 11, you could do a lot worse than Cody Kessler.
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